Finally, there’s a holiday when it’s okay to be single! Yes, couples still go out and wear matching Halloween costumes with their significant others, but it’s also a liberating holiday for singles in my opinion. When you’re a kid, the important thing is to have fun and score tons of candy. When you’re an adult, it’s just another way to let loose and have fun. Because people usually get so busted, no one cares if you’re with someone. You could be that creeper who hits on everyone, but no one would care! I honestly love Halloween, especially because it’s perfectly fine to be single today.

Here’s three specific reasons why I can’t get enough of this holiday:

It gives you an excuse to be whoever or whatever YOU want to be, and you don’t have to worry about matching your costume with your loved one. It’s a super fun way to dress up as an alter-ego, and the best part is that no one judges you. But still remember to be yourself. You should only dress as something you actually want to be. It’s not like you have a boyfriend or girlfriend to impress.

People don’t judge you for going out as a single body. People could care less, and most of the people going out only want to get laid, so there’s no doubt that you’ll meet lots of singles tonight at Halloween parties and at bars.

You can eat and drink as much as you want without the fear of social persecution. Everyone’s eating, and everyone’s drinking! It’s quite an unhealthy holiday, but who cares? It’s fun, and it’s perfectly fine to have fun every now and then. Get loose, and enjoy yourself. And if you meet someone on this eventful night, then more power to you because they’ll already know what you’re like at one of your lowest points!

And if you don’t have any friends, don’t fret because Halloween is the perfect time to meet some new weird friends. Get yourself out there, and be glad that you don’t have someone weighing you down just yet!

Let’s give Kim and Kanye a belated congrats, shall we? Because their love is soooo romantic (well, not really) and come on, North West? Too cute.

Anyway, while I guess I could be fake-happy about the newly engaged couple—I just have to get something off of my chest. Fuck birthday proposals. Let me repeat, Fuck. Birthday. Proposals. While the gesture seems like the perfect opportunity to get your potential partner to say yes, it is also the worst time ever.

I swear, if someone proposes to me on my birthday, I’m going to lose it, and here’s why:

1. IT’S MY BIRTHDAY. I might be bitter about the fact that I’ve had a couple crappy celebrations in the past. But, that day is the only time that I can shine and not feel too weird about it. For the rest of my life I would have to remember that my SO proposed on February 3rd and my livelihood would become irrelevant—and don’t even get me started on the PTSD I would have if there was a divorce.

2. It’s not creative. Like Kanye West said:

If I wanted it to be romantic, I would have gone to a small restaurant or something.

LOL. But the man has a point, because baseball stadiums don’t necessarily exude romance . On top of that, the whole “I had a viral wedding proposal” thing is getting old (it’s sooo 2013) and the publicity that surrounds events, because yes it is an event, allows people (like me) to pick every single aspect apart. So instead of being “romantic,” Mr. Kardashian West made it the most talked about thing of last week, thus fulfilling his goal of being one-half of the “best celeb couple ever.” At least that’s what he wants, right?

3. It feeds ego. Instead of the proposal being about the two lovebirds, it becomes about the “OMG THAT’S THE ULTIMATE PRESENT, OMG HOW DID HE PULL THAT OFF WITHOUT HER KNOWING, OMG BEST BDAY SURPRISE EVAAAHHHH,” which makes the proposer feel all high and mighty for, arguably, the wrong reasons.

4. Finally, what if he/she says no? While the proposée could feel obligated to say yes outside of the love realm, they might not feel ready or may not even like you like you, but just like you (Hey Arnold, whattup).

Now, by all means, do whatever you want. I’m not here to tell you what you can and cannot do (because it’s your life, your choices, blah blah). BUT don’t say I never warned you.

After reading a post on Thought Catalog, I realized that although it’s hard to admit sometimes, everyone has a type or specific qualities that he or she looks for in a lifelong or sexual partner. Maybe you love gothic types or have the hots for artsy bros, who wear baggy sweatshirts. Sometimes, people find the weirdest things endearing and totally irresistible, or some people simply appreciate a good sense of humor, but regardless of who you are, you can’t deny the fact that you find certain physical or personality traits more attractive than others.

Here are the top three things that get me going:

Beards – I don’t know what it is, but guys with facial hair just look way more attractive than hairless guys. This might be a result of me coping with my own lack of a beard. Maybe I’m jealous that I can’t grow a beard, so I try to find a guy with one. Of course, I will still pursue individuals without facial hair. This is simple one trait that gets me all stupid and giddy.

Glasses or a nerdy vibe – This nerd infatuation has been more apparent to me as of late, but I gotta say, I totally dig nerds. I love guys with huge glasses that overpower the rest of their face. Plus, nerds are always super interested in and passionate about certain things, which means that being with that person will always be an intensely intellectual experience where they can always teach you or introduce you to new things. There’s nothing more attractive than someone who can demonstrate their passion for a particular topic or field. For me, it’s film, and I can go on for hours about film theory and the French New Wave.

Idiosyncrasies or odd deficiencies – This may sound completely baffling, but I love it when guys are color blind, have weird allergies, or once, I was with someone, who had sickle cell anemia, and I thought it was the cutest thing. Certain parts of his body were more sensitive than others, so you know where I’m going with that (joking, of course).

In the end, it’s important to be yourself and to do you, and who knows, someone out there will find you insanely attractive and appreciate all of your quirks. Remember to follow me on Twitter to discover some of my own quirks.

First dates can be intimidating, especially when you can’t even remember the last time you put yourself out there. In celebration of the date I went on last week, which may have been the first semi-real date I’ve been on in a while, I’m offering up some advice, based on that experience and a few others. I’m also still talking to the guy, so that means it wasn’t a complete fail.

I recently saw a post on HowAboutWe’s The Date Report featuring this video that portrays the evolution of an entire romantic relationship, and while I was laughing, I realized that there are a few reasons why the relationship didn’t succeed, which may have to do with the very beginning of the relationship. Although many people don’t care about first dates, they’re fairly important, and in today’s world, first impressions certainly matter, although there is no such thing as a first, first impression, since people usually stalk each other via Facebook and other social media sites before actually meeting.

Here a few things to keep in mind, so you don’t completely freak out before and during your date:

Don’t over think it. This applies to the actual date and the time spent getting ready for the date. Some of us, myself included, freak out before we even go on dates, and I’ll most likely think very pessimistic and morbid thoughts and expect the worst, and even though this can be beneficial, it’s best to not even think about the date until it happens. Who knows, this could either lead to something longterm and fulfilling, or it could be a sham. But either way, you’re still getting out there, and that’s always a good thing.

Don’t share too much about yourself just yet. Try to maintain some sense of mystery, so then your date stays interested. Yes, this is a bit dishonest, but it’s smart, and it works. No one wants to hear your entire life’s story in one night anyways.

Don’t seem too eager. As elementary as this sounds, play hard to get on a certain level. Don’t ignore your date, but you also don’t want to drool or seem super into him or her when you’re only on your first date!

This may be the most important one, but be yourself. Although you shouldn’t divulge everything about yourself on date #1, you also shouldn’t hide your personality. Enchant your date with your knowledge of Medieval history, and if you know a lot about cheese, then order some, and tell your date how your grandmother used to feed you cheese when you were little and that eating cheese reminds you of her (this may be my own personal tidbit). Or if you go to a club, get your freak out. Let your weird out (maybe not all of it just yet), but show your date that you’re comfortable in your own skin. Nothing’s sexier than self-confidence.

Even if the date goes south, at least you got some food or some dancing out of it. And if you two get along, but there’s no romantic connection, being friends wouldn’t hurt, although I know some friends who are against being friends with people that they went on dates with, but who cares? I still talk to people I’ve been on dates with.

As for the date, It could of been way, way worse. Always tell yourself that if your date ended up leaving a sour taste in your mouth (not literally, guys). As you read in my earlier post, your date could’ve been a drug addict, a sociopath, or way worse.

If you’re really in a bind during your date, channel Liz Lemon, and make the best out of a bad situation. Pretend he or she is a sandwich, order a sandwich, and get your grub on. After your date is over, you’ll be so full and satisfied, that you’ll forget about Tony or Doug or whoever that lame-o was!

Let me know in the comments what your tricks are for keeping your cool when you go on first dates!

Today’s topic: SEX and sexual desire. That’s right, kids; this post is going to be raunchy (not really), but it’ll be awkward and undoubtedly honest, but not in a snarky way because I have no idea what I’m saying when I talk about sex. It’s like I’m a vegetarian in a meat market but way worse. Also, all of my GIFs will be New Girl GIFs because New Girl is the best show ever.

If you really think about it, what else has changed this past decade besides the fact that youngins have having sex at alarming rates? I believe that the younger generation’s change in sexual behavior relates to the pervasive nature of social media. In Paul Sheehan’s “R u ready for the latest change to sexual behaviour?,” he does a great job at pinpointing exactly how sexual roles have changed in the wake of social media and other forms of digital media. In today’s world, sexting has become unstinting, and modern technology has revealed how contagious sexual desire can be, and it’s making it more acceptable to share your sexual thoughts and inhibitions in an almost indirect way. Many of my friends talk about sexting, and it just seems like, EVERYONE DOES IT or at least thinks about doing it.

SERIOUSLY THOUGH. Image Source: Photobucket

What’s evermore compelling is that according to Sheehan, “men are [typically] the drivers of sexual desire,” but digital media is showing us that this sexual desire is reciprocal. Women want it too, and this becomes exceedingly more apparent when we look at the younger generation. It’s definitely accurate to state that “women in their 30s are becoming sexual fogeys compared with the next wave of young women.” Social media is ultimately loosening the social constraints on female sexuality so that women have a safe space (i.e. their smart phones) to share their once repressed thoughts. Sex might not actually be “cool,” but it’s much more prevalent than it was a decade ago, and the immense popularity of sexting and sharing one’s sexual desires makes sex seem cool. Even my cousin, who’s younger than me, lost her virginity much earlier than when I did. It’s just much more socially acceptable (or at least more so now) to be sexually active or to freely express one’s sexual desires at a younger age.

In the end, my inability to be cool at sex or talk about sex in a cool way or get on this “Sex is COOL” bandwagon will result in this:

Image Source: GURL.com

Now, let’s talk about this. Do you think sex is cool? Do you agree with Sheehan’s findings? Will you closely monitor your kids’ texting habits, so they don’t SEXT?